Ranjitsinhji: Difference between revisions

| image              = Ranjitsinhji c1908.jpg

| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1872|9|10|df=yes}}

| death_date        = {{Death date and age|1933|4|2|1872|9|10|df=yes}}

| succession        = Maharaja of [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]]

| reign              = 1907–1933

}}

==Early life==

===Birth===

===Heir to the throne===

In 1856, Vibhaji's son, Kalubha, was born, becoming heir to Vibhaji's throne. However, as Kalubha grew, he established a reputation for violence and terror. Among his actions were an attempt to poison his father and a multiple rape.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=12}}{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=24}} Consequently, Vibhaji disinherited his son in 1877 and, having no other suitable heir, followed custom by adopting an heir from another branch of his family, that of Jhalamsinhji. The first selected heir died within six months of being adopted,{{Sfn|Wild|1934|p=12}} either through fever or poisoning on the orders of Kalubha's mother.{{Sfn|Kincaid|1931|p=12}}{{Sfn|Ross|1983|p=24}} The second choice, in October 1878, was Ranjitsinhji. Vibhaji took him to [[Rajkot]] to secure the approval of the ruling British and the young boy lived there for the next 18 months before joining the [[Rajkumar College, Rajkot|Rajkumar College]], supported through this time by an allowance from Vibhaji.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=13–14}} Being discouraged by the ambition of Ranjitsinhji's family and the conduct of Jiwansinhji, Vibhaji never completed the adoption of Ranjitsinhji and continued trying to produce his own heir.{{Sfn|Wild|1934|pp=14–15}} The prospect of Ranjitsinhji's accession seemed to vanish in August 1882 when one of the women of Vibhaji's court gave birth to a son, Jaswantsinhji.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=9}}

===Education===

In March 1888, Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji to London, with two other students who exhibited potential. One of the events to which Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji was a cricket match between [[Surrey County Cricket Club]] and [[Australian cricket team in England in 1888|the touring Australian team]]. Ranjitsinhji was enthralled by the standard of cricket, and [[Charles Turner (Australian cricketer)|Charles Turner]], an Australian known more as a bowler, scored a century in front of a large crowd; Ranjitsinhji later said he did not see a better innings for ten years.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=25–27}} Macnaghten returned to India that September but arranged for Ranjitsinhji and one of the other students, Ramsinhji, to live in Cambridge. Their second choice of lodgings proved successful, living with the family of Reverend Louis Borrisow, at the time the chaplain of [[Trinity College, Cambridge]], who tutored them for the next year. Ranjitsinhji lived with the Borrisows until 1892 and remained close to them throughout his life.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=27–29}} According to Roland Wild, Borrisow believed Ranji was "lazy and irresponsible"{{Sfn|Wild|1934|p=29}} and obsessed with leisure activities including cricket, tennis, billiards and photography.{{Sfn|Ross|1983|p=38}} Wild also says that he might have struggled to acclimatise to English life and did not settle to academic study.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=29}} Possibly as a consequence, Ranjitsinhji failed the preliminary entrance exam to Trinity College in 1889, but he and Ramsinhji were allowed to enter the college as "youths of position". Nevertheless, Ranjitsinhji concentrated more on sport than study while at Cambridge, being content to work no more than necessary and he never graduated.{{Sfn|Ross|1983|p=31}} A Freemason, he was also a member of [[Isaac Newton University Lodge]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Isaac Newton University, Lodge|url=https://masonicperiodicals.org/periodicals/fvl/issues/fvl_17101896/page/12/articles/ar01200/?highlight=%22Isaac%20Newton%20University%20Lodge%22&from=search|access-date=25 May 2021|website=Periodicals}}</ref>

In June 1892, Ranjitsinhji left the Borrisow home and, with monetary assistance from relations,{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=39}} moved into his own rooms in the city of Cambridge. He lived in luxury and frequently entertained guests lavishly.<ref name=W43-4>Wilde, pp. 43–44.</ref> According to writer [[Alan Ross]], Ranjitsinhji may have been lonely in his first years at Cambridge and probably encountered racism and prejudice. Ross believes that his generosity may have partly arisen from trying to overcome these barriers.{{Sfn|Ross|1983|p=41}} However, Ranjitsinhji increasingly lived beyond his means to the point where he experienced financial difficulty. He intended to pass the examinations to be [[Call to the Bar|called to the Bar]] and wrote to ask Vibhaji to provide more money to cover the costs; Vibhaji sent the money on the condition Ranjitsinhji returned to India once he passed the examination.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=43}} Ranjitsinhji intended to keep to this arrangement, although he did not plan a career as a barrister, but his debts were larger than he had thought and not only could he not afford the cost of the Bar examination, he was forced to leave Cambridge University, without graduating, in spring 1894.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=48}}{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=50}}

Around this time, Ranjitsinhji began to work with [[Daniel Hayward]], a [[first-class cricket|first-class]] cricketer and the father of future [[England national cricket team|England]] batsman [[Tom Hayward|Thomas Hayward]], on his batting technique. His main fault was a tendency to back away from the ball when facing a [[Fast bowling#Categorisation of fast bowling|fast bowler]], making it more likely he would be [[Dismissal (cricket)|dismissed]]. Possibly prompted by the suggestion of a professional cricketer who was bowling at him in the [[cricket nets|nets]] at Cambridge, he and Hayward began to practise with Ranjitsinhji's right leg tied to the ground. This affected his future batting technique and contributed to his creation of the [[Batting (cricket)#Leg glance|leg glance]], a shot with which he afterwards became associated.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=33–34}} While practising, he continued to move his left leg, which was not tied, away from the ball; in this case, it moved to his right, towards [[Fielding (cricket)#Fielding position names and locations|point]]. He found he could then flick the ball behind his legs, a highly unorthodox shot and likely, for most players, to result in their dismissal.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=34–35}} Although other players had probably played this shot before,  Ranjitsinhji was able to play it with unprecedented effectiveness.{{Sfn|Ross|1983|p=40}} Ranjitsinhji probably developed his leg glance with Hayward around spring 1892, for during the remainder of that year, he scored around 2,000 runs in all cricket, far more than he had previously managed, making at least nine [[Century (cricket)|centuries]], a feat he had never previously achieved in England.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=34}}{{Sfn|Jackson|1982|p=40}}{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=40}}

===University cricketer===

At least one Cambridge University cricketer believed that Ranjitsinhji should have played for the team in 1892; he played in two trial games with moderate success, but Jackson believed he was not good enough to play [[first-class cricket]]. Jackson was probably also the reason Ranjitisinhji did not play cricket for Trinity College until 1892, despite his success for other teams.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=38}} Jackson himself wrote in 1933 that, at the time, he lacked a "sympathetic interest for Indians",{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=118}} and Simon Wilde has suggested that prejudice lay behind Jackson's attitude.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=38}} Jackson also said in 1893 that underestimating Ranjitsinhji's ability was a big mistake.<ref name=coy>{{Cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154848.html| title = Ranjitsinhji (Cricketer of the Year) | work = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack  | year = 1897 | publisher = John Wisden & Co. | access-date = 11 June 2011}}</ref> However, Ranjitsinhji made his debut for Trinity in 1892 after injury ruled out another player and his subsequent form, including a century, kept him in the college team, achieving a [[Batting average (cricket)|batting average]] of 44, only Jackson averaging more.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=39}}{{Sfn|Ross|1983|p=42}} However, the other players ignored Ranjitsinhji in these matches.{{Sfn|Jackson|1982|p=38}} That June, watched by Ranjitsinhji, Cambridge were defeated by [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford]] in the [[University Match (cricket)|University Match]]; [[Malcolm Jardine]], an Oxford batsman, hit 140 runs, many with a version of the leg glance; Jackson would not alter his tactics and Jardine was able to score easy runs.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=39}}

Following his success at cricket, Ranjitsinhji was more widely accepted within Trinity.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=43–44}} His new-found popularity led to the creation by his friends of a nickname; finding his name difficult, they initially dubbed him "Smith", then shortened his full name to "Ranji", which remained with him for the rest of his life.{{Sfn|Ross|1983|p=44}}{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=44}} At this time, Ranjitsinhji may have furthered rumours of his royal background or great wealth, and he was further encouraged to spend money to entertain others and reinforce the impression of his status.{{Sfn|Ross|1983|pp=44–45}} Several English first-class counties made enquiries over his availability to play for them, and he was invited to make a speech at a Cambridge club dinner, attended by prominent figures in Cambridge; his general remarks about the good treatment of Indians in England were reported in the press as being in support of Indian federation and suggested the public were eager to hear his words.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=48–49}} However, Ranjitsinhji was unable to continue his cricket with Cambridge as he had to leave before the start of the 1894 season.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=50}}

These performances brought him into contention for a place in the England team for the first [[Test cricket|Test match]], but although  his form merited selection, he was not chosen by the MCC committee which chose the team. [[George Harris, 4th Baron Harris|Lord Harris]] was primarily responsible for the decision, possibly under influence from the British Government; Simon Wilde believed they may have feared establishing a precedent that made races interchangeable or wished to curtail the involvement of Indians in British political life.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=64}} Bateman's assessment is less sympathetic to Harris: "the high-minded imperialist Lord Harris, who had just returned from a spell of colonial duty in India, opposed his qualification for England on the grounds of race."<ref name="Bate136">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tvFyW3JbKfoC&q=ranjitsinhji&pg=PA136|title=Cricket, Literature and Culture: Symbolising the Nation, Destabilising Empire|author=Bateman, Anthony|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|date=1 January 2009|isbn=9780754665373}}</ref>

Ranjitsinhji made his Test debut on 16 July 1896. After a cautious 62 in his first innings, he batted again when England [[Follow-on|followed on]], 181 runs behind. After the second day, he had scored 42 and on the final morning, he scored 113 runs before the [[Playing time (cricket)#Intervals|lunch interval]], surviving a fast, hostile spell from Jones and playing many shots on the leg side to reach the first century scored that season against the tourists. His final score was 154 not out,{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=68–69}} and the next highest score for England on the last day was 19. He was given an enthusiastic reception by the crowd and the report in ''Wisden'' stated: "[The] famous young Indian fairly rose to the occasion, playing an innings that could, without exaggeration, be fairly described as marvellous.{{Sfn|Sen|2012|p=43}} He punished the Australian bowlers in a style that, up to that period of the season, no other English batsman had approached. He repeatedly brought off his wonderful strokes on the leg side, and for a while had the Australian bowlers quite at his mercy."<ref>{{Cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153735.html| title = England v Australia 1896 | work = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack  | year = 1897 | publisher = John Wisden & Co. | access-date = 11 June 2011}}</ref> Although Australia won the match, the players were astonished by the way Ranjitsinhji batted.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=69–70}} Not everyone was pleased at his success. [[Home Gordon]], a journalist, praised Ranjitsinhji in a conversation with an MCC member; the man angrily threatened to have Gordon expelled from the MCC for "having the disgusting degeneracy to  praise a dirty black." Gordon also heard other MCC members complaining about "a nigger showing us how to play the game of cricket".{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=70}}

===Succession dispute===

Having been named one of the [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|''Wisden'' Cricketers of the Year]] for his performances in 1896,<ref name=coy/> Ranjitsinhji began the 1897 season strongly, scoring 260 for Sussex against the MCC then, playing for MCC against Lancashire hit 157. A succession of low scores on a series of difficult pitches ended when he scored three centuries in July, but in the remainder of the season he only once passed fifty.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=84–87}} He scored 1,940 runs at 45.12, figures which matched other leading batsmen, but his relative loss of form, noted by critics, was owed partly to ill health. He suffered from asthma throughout the season, and some commentators blamed the stress of producing his book. However, he may also have been distracted by his interest in the [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]] succession.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 May 2019|title=Ranjitsinhji: The Jubilee of Cricket Legacy|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277859762|access-date=27 September 2020|website=Researchgate}}</ref>

Ranjitsinhji's health remained poor, but he played in the rest of the series.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=91}} He scored a half-century in one innings of each of the next three Tests, each time facing a large Australian total. He and [[Archie MacLaren]] were the only two tourists to come to terms with the conditions and bowling; despite being labelled a poor starter by the press, Ranjitsinhji batted cautiously in each match, possibly attempting to emulate the Australian approach of accumulating runs carefully.<ref name=figures/>{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=91–92}} The only Test in which Ranjitsinhji failed to reach fifty was the fifth, when England were defeated for the fourth time in succession.<ref name=figures/> Even so, he scored 457 runs at an average of 50.77 in the series.<ref name=tbat>{{cite web|url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/213/t_Batting_by_Season.html| title = Test Batting in Each Season by Ranji | publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 14 June 2011}}</ref>

==Cricketing peak and decline==

Ranjitsinhji continued to score heavily throughout the 1900 season. After a slow start in cold weather, in the space of nine days, he hit scores of 97, 127, 222 and 215 not out, followed by 192 a week later.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=123–124}} After a brief sequence of low scores, he scored 1,000 runs in July and maintained his form until the end of the season; in his final 19 innings, he failed to reach 40 only three times. He was successful in a variety of conditions and match situations, and after some criticism of his ability to play on difficult pitches for batting, scored 89 against Somerset and 202 against Middlesex on [[Sticky wicket|rain affected pitches]]. Against Leicestershire, he achieved his highest score until then, making 275 in five hours.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=124–126}} He hit a record-breaking fifth double-hundred of the season in his penultimate game; this was his eleventh century of the season, which was also briefly a record.{{#tag:ref|[[Bobby Abel]] equalled the record in the same match and surpassed it by scoring his twelfth century in the following fixture.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=102}}|group=note}}<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-22|title=India mourns record-breaker Goel|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/cricket/news/india-mourns-record-breaker-goel-1918621|access-date=2020-09-28|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> Ranjitsinhji's final aggregate was 3,065 runs, the second highest total after that which he scored the previous year, at an average of 87.57; this placed him at the top of the national averages.<ref name=W127>Wilde, p. 127.</ref>{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=245}}

===Failure in 1902===

Ranjitsinhji returned to England in mid-May and immediately resumed the captaincy of [[Sussex]]. However, a succession of low scores and uncertain performances suggested that he was neither mentally nor physically fit for cricket and Simon Wilde writes that his failure to secure support in India and the continued pressure of threatened bankruptcy placed him in a difficult situation.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=140}} The Australian cricket team was touring England once more, and Ranjitsinhji, having played against the team for the MCC, was selected for the first Test. However, he seemed to be nervous and struggled to concentrate, [[Run out|running out]] his captain, [[Archie MacLaren]] before he was out himself for 13.<ref name=figures/>{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=139–141}} ''Wisden'' noted: "a misunderstanding, for which Ranjitsinhji considered himself somewhat unjustly blamed, led to MacLaren being run out, and then Ranjitsinhji himself quite upset by what had happened, was clean bowled".<ref>{{Cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/150168.html| title = England v Australia 1902 (First Test)| work = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack| year = 1903 | publisher = John Wisden & Co. | access-date = 5 July 2011}}</ref> Although he scored 135 for Sussex shortly afterwards, in the second Test he was out without scoring. Over the next few weeks, Ranjitsinhji made good starts to several innings but lost his wicket to uncharacteristic lapses and leg-break bowlers continued to trouble him.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1931 RARE letter Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji Jadeja "Ranji" the Famous Indian Cricketer|url=https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/yOUAAOSwkbdbT1I-/s-l400.jpg|access-date=2020-09-28|website=eBay|language=en-gb}}</ref> He missed several matches, far more than he had missed in other seasons.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=141}}{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=149}} However, in favourable batting circumstances he played two large innings in this period, hitting 230 against Essex and 234 against Surrey. An injury in the former game caused Ranjitsinhji to miss the third Test, lost by England, although his lack of confidence may have played a part in his decision.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=145}} He returned for the fourth Test which England narrowly lost. However, he faced serious distractions from his parlous financial situation as one of his creditors presented him with a demand for payment shortly before the game. Ranjitsinhji claimed  after the match, falsely, that Pratap Singh intended to pay the debt but needed approval from the India Office, but it is likely that Ranjitsinhji anticipated another petition in bankruptcy going before a court and that this affected his performance in the Test.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=145–147}} Showing signs of nerves, and never looking comfortable while batting, Ranjitsinhji scored 2 runs in the first innings and 4 in the second. In the latter innings, when England had a relatively small target to chase for victory, he looked to have lost all confidence and could have been dismissed several times; the Australian players thought he played more poorly than they had ever seen. His lack of belief may also have contributed to the defeat, as [[Fred Tate]] notoriously dropped an important catch fielding, according to Simon Wilde, in a position which  Ranjitsinhji was more likely to fill in normal circumstances.<ref>{{Cite web|title=My Talks - British Empire 1815-1914|url=https://www.britishempire.me.uk/my-talks.html|access-date=2020-09-28|website=www.britishempire.me.uk}}</ref> Wilde writes: "[Several members of the team] failed to play their part, notably Ranji, whose abject performance was in marked contrast to his former days of splendour. The real reason for his poor performance has remained the knowledge of only a very few. At the time, a polite veil was drawn over his failure, but he was never to play for England again."{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|p=158}} In 15 Test matches, all against Australia, he scored 989 runs at an average of 44.96.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cricket 1902|url=https://archive.acscricket.com/cricket/1902/409/|access-date=2020-09-28|website=archive.acscricket.com}}</ref>

Ranjitsinhji managed to raise enough money, probably through a loan, to head off the threat of bankruptcy.{{Sfn|Jackson|1982|pp=135–136}} After spending time with Pratap Singh who was in London for the coronation of Edward VII, Ranjitsinhji went to [[Gilling East]] in Yorkshire, where the Reverend Borrisow now lived. He spent the winter there, adding to the speculation surrounding him. He became very close to Borrisow's eldest daughter, Edith, and the pair may have become engaged around this time.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=153–154}}

===Controversy in England===

During his visit Ranjitsinhji resumed his first-class cricket career in the 1908 season,{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=191–194}} and also visited the Borrisow family in Gilling East. At the time, he was contemplating marriage and locals believed he was in love with Edith Borrisow. While he may have pursued the matter, objections from her father and the potential scandal in both British and [[Rajput]] circles at a mixed-race marriage prevented anything coming of it.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=194–195}} In August 1908, Ranjitsinhji became involved in fund raising to restore the bell-tower of Gilling East parish church and to furnish it with a clock; he organised a cricket match involving famous cricketers playing against a local team and raised money through the sale of a photograph.{{Sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=196–197}}

{{Main|Ranji Trophy}}

[[File:Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji 1973 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|Ranjitsinhji on a 1973 stamp of India]]

The popularity of an Indian playing cricket in England and for England was remarked upon during Ranjitsinhji's era. [[W. G. Grace]] directly linked Ranji's celebrity to "his extraordinary skill as a batsman and his nationality".<ref name="p135"/>

===Sources===

{{refbegin|}}

* {{cite book|title=The Land of 'Ranji' and 'Duleep'|last=Kincaid|first=Charles A.|year=1931|isbn=9783809431411|publisher=William Blackwood & Sons|location=Edinburgh|page=137|author-link=Charles Augustus Kincaid}}

* {{cite book|last=Ross|first=Alan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UsSvLwEACAAJ|title=Ranji: Prince of Cricketers|publisher=Collins|year=1983|location=London|isbn=0-00-217075-2|author-link=Alan Ross}}

==External links==

* {{ESPNcricinfo|id=19331}}

<!--- There was no Indian cricket team in Ranji's day, so he played for England. There were news report at the cinema in the 1920s.  

{{Descendants of Jivansinhji}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranjitsinhji, Kumar Shri}}

[[Category:Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World]]

[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]

[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]]

[[Category:Members of Isaac Newton University Lodge]]

[[Category:Cricketers from Gujarat]]

[[Category:Indian royalty]]

[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]

[[Category:Indian Hindus]]